A gorgeously restored, two-storey old building which exudes home comforts amid a French colonial ambience.

Magnificent French and Thai tastes which go far beyond the usual snails and foie gras emphasised at other French restaurants. Mille feuilles of grilled vegetables, fresh goat cheese and pesto vinaigrette is a great way to begin, and puts lots of eggplant in a very fresh salad. Baked sea bass en papillote, with lemon butter and chopped black olives, delights with a nice, cheesy sauce decked with asparagus and other treats.

Le Bouchon restaurant is located in the heart of Patpong, the famous entertainment area in Bangkok. It is located in a one floor shop-house with a large bar, small dining room, and an even smaller kitchen and toilet.

The amicable owner, Serge Martiani, is usually at the bar and you may have a chat with him. It has been very popular over the last ten years especially with the French crowd, and the main draw is not the menu but the real bistro feel of the place, it seems that everyone feels comfortable here and I would advise advance booking, due to the popularity and limited seating. You can always eat at the bar, if you can find a spot to squeeze in.

During a recent lunch and after looking at the very extensive blackboard menus, which are propped-up in front of you by the friendly tri-lingual waitresses, I chose to start with what turned out to be a very fresh tomato salad drizzled with vanilla scented, olive oil and sprinkled with pink peppercorns from Madagascar, and my dining companion ordered lentil soup for the first course. I followed with lamb shank with white beans while my friend had duck confit. It was all washed down with a good bottle of red Cahor wine.

Classic French cuisine makes many demands of the chef - adherence to strict rules, an understanding of special methods and techniques, skills acquired after long apprenticeships in the kitchens of great restaurants.

At Le Beaulieu, Chef Herve Frerard knows what a great dish requires. His sauces, the foundation of haute cuisine, are created under the strict, time-consuming rules he has learned in major restaurants in Europe.

Yet French gastronomy today is constantly transforming. Out of tradition, aesthetic sense, and culinary history is evolving a re-interpretation of French haute cuisine into "French Contemporary", where elegance underlies a subtle simplicity, and fine ingredients are presented with a clarity of taste.

All these are elements you'll find at Le Beaulieu, where the 200-year-old French culinary heritage is re-interpreted in a contemporary setting.

Le Banyan Restaurant Bangkok is a Thai house splashed in yellow and red with a bar on one side and traditional table settings.

For 18 years chef Michel Binaux and partner Bruno Bischoff have continued a legacy that keeps Le Banyan a respected French restaurant. Among the foie gras variations, try deglazing with blackcurrant vinegar and apple galette; pan-fried yet served semi-cooked helps the liver lobe to resonate with a sweet hint.

Hot appetisers such as lobster bisque is aromatised the old-fashioned way with cognac. While Le Banyan is synonymous with Rouennaise-style pressed duck, a traditional French delicacy that uses the juice squeezed from the duck as a sauce, chef Binaux's culinary expertise is also attested by chateaubriand, medium grilled before flambeed with Armagnac and served with red wine sauce and bone marrow croutons. End the meal with calvados and souffle or choux pastry profiteroles with fruit sherbet.

Right at the top of the hotel, D'Sens's full-length glass windows provide breathtaking views of the city.

Michelin-star twin chefs Jacques and Laurent Pourcel have created a menu that is modern French inspired by the Mediterranean influences of their restaurant at Montpellier in the south of France. Specialty ingredients are imported to provide an exceptional dining experience. Each item on the menu is paired with a recommended wine.

Start with Brittany blue lobster terrine, served with mango and baby vegetables, smoked duck breast, snow peas and vanilla-flavoured olive oil. Duck liver ravioli is a speciality that lives up to its reputation. For a main course, duo of pan-fried beef fillet and braised short ribs in red wine with black truffle mousse is strongly recommended. Not to be missed are some divine desserts.

On offer here are minimalist dishes for high prices. Begin with caesar salad for a modest-sized, adequate item adorned with bacon bits and fragments of parmesan cheese. Frog legs is tasty but leaves you wishing for more. Agnolottis ravioli arrives in a standard tomato-based sauce. Duck breast with sauteed potatoes and mushrooms is a large serving of breast with a side of potato and mushroom that is not very special. Grilled Australian rack of lamb in rosemary sauce is two small chops along with potatoes, offering a nice flavour. Lots of foie gras choices, along with snails, oysters and other options are also on the menu. Poached pears is a nice dessert choice.

A narrow, modern cafe with candle-lit tables and pale yellow tablecloths that soften the mood.

Smooth flavours which may taste bland to some who favour sharper, bolder recipes, this is the place for nice, unchallenging meals. Caesar salad is adequate and very mild, with its romaine lettuce, anchovies, egg, parmesan cheese and croutons free of the pointy piquancy offered in other restaurants. Smoked salmon is fine and is sliced thin so it easily drapes rocket salad and capers, surrounded by squirts of a lemon-dillmustard dressing. Foie gras is prepared as two pan-fried goose liver pieces on a slice of warm pear in raspberry sauce, along with a corn fritter.

Rack of lamb is thick but its roasted Australian chops lack flavour and are not exceptional, despite its bed of ratatouille and rosemary sauce. Grilled tuna steak is more successful and presents two slices on grated beetroot, with welcome dabs of garlic cream sauce. For dessert try creme brulee, a really good custard topped with kiwi and tangerine.
Cosy, romantic and sophisticated. Framed black-and-white photographs adorn the walls of this graceful, well-appointed restaurant which dangles silky gauze between some tables to seclude diners in semi-cocoons amid little pillows, indirect lighting and other flourishes.

Some nice dishes are available here. The menu focuses on a small number of choices, which ensures maximum attention to detail. Home-made smoked duck makes a divine starter with sprouts, mushrooms and other meticulously selected ingredients under slices of warm meat. Smoked salmon is wonderful, wrapped around a tasty blob of mascarpone cream cheese mixed with crab meat, alongside a tiny rocket salad. Warmed salad of butternut squash brings cubes tasting similar to pumpkin, sprinkled with garlic, and pieces of sauteed ham, tomatoes and sprouts. Rack of lamb with ratatouille and red wine sauce arrives as five chops with a side of cubed carrots and garlic mashed potatoes. Duck leg confit is crispy, served with mushrooms, squash and a cheese-infused potato gratin. Make space for dessert because tiramisu is very delicious.

Mustard-coloured walls frame a large, sensuous mosaic and a big aquarium, lending a lively ambience to this small, intimate restaurant. Modern, tasteful touches include chocolatecoloured tablecloths and soft ballads playing in the background.

Witch's is still renowned for its fresh oysters, and they really are a must-try. But the menu moves on to include fish and seafood dishes, as well as a variety of imported red meats. There are scores of warm and cold appetisers that go with after-work drinks such as deep-fried New Zealand white bait or a seafood platter to share with friends. For the more discerning palate and a nice glass of red wine, imported pan-fried foie gras in plum sauce. Seafood selections such as snowfish meuniere with capers is dazzling in both portion and taste. From the imported meat selection, try braised lamb shank with rosemary and thyme sauce. There are a few English-style selections not found elsewhere in Bangkok such as beef and stilton pie. The dessert menu provides items to placate the sweet tooth as well.

The traditional gentleman's lounge look has been stripped away to reveal an after-work sports bar with 1950s-era signage.

To Die For is considered one of the coolest places in town, whether you come for a drink at the bar or for its cuisine. This modern eatery offers an array of innovative European dishes. A complimentary bread basket with tomato salsa is offered at the beginning. Tempura salad is a perfect choice as an appetiser, the crispy tempura blending well with the light dressing. Main courses offer poultry, meat, fish and vegetarian selections. A meat dish such as veal saltimbocca is worth trying, the veal stuffed with sage, parma ham and melting mozzarella cheese. For those who want a lighter dish, fish roll-over is very unique in its presentation and flavour; it comes with a creamy sauce and is accompanied by spinach and potatoes. A number of pasta dishes are also available here and Yunnan ham carbonara is highly recommended. The dessert menu is limited, but lists fruit tart and homemade cakes, among others.

The outdoor area is the perfect place for a meal with low, shared cushion-seating under candlelight at night. Inside, guests can enjoy house and funk music by DJs nightly when the restaurant opens its bar section after 9pm.